Page 86 of The Blood Moon Oath

Chapter

Forty-Four

SABLE

Torin’s hands are gentle as he lifts me from the bed, guiding me toward the bathroom, and I can’t help but notice how his touch feels so... sure. Confident. It’s like he already knows exactly what I need before I even have to say it. I glance up at him, trying to keep my head clear, but the way his eyes follow me—so full of intensity—keeps me from thinking straight.

We walk into the bathroom, and my breath catches in my throat. This bathroom is something out of a dream, a sanctuary. The space is enormous, filled with warm lighting and an opulent design that speaks of luxury. The centerpiece is a massive, deep soaking tub, big enough to fit all three of us comfortably. There’s a separate room attached—a sauna, the thick wooden walls lining the space, the faint heat lingering in the air. The scent of cedar wood and warmth immediately relaxes me, the exhaustion from earlier seeping into my bones.

“Had I known you were into all this,” I tease, my voice alittle lighter now, “I would’ve been hanging out here a lot more often.”

Torin chuckles, low and dark, as he moves toward the tub. “I like the sound of that,” he replies, the hint of a grin tugging at his lips.

I roll my eyes, but there's a flutter in my chest, something I can't quite identify. The bathroom, this moment—it all feels oddly...safe.

Kael, still standing near the door, watches us, his gaze steady. “I’ve got court to attend,” he says, his voice calm, but there’s something strained in it that I can feel. “I’ll leave it to you, Torin. Take care of her.”

I watch him go, his long strides purposeful. Something about the way he leaves—something in the air between us—feels like more than just him walking away. It’s almost as if a part of him is shutting down, pulling away. The bond we share hums softly, and I can feel the confusion and frustration building inside of him, and I hate that I can’t reach him, that he’s putting up these walls again.

I glance up at Torin, who’s standing just behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. The warmth of his presence is grounding. He pulls me toward him, and I feel the tension in my body slowly melt as he begins to massage my back. His touch is firm, yet gentle, as if he’s trying to erase the tension in my muscles, trying to heal me, piece by piece.

I lean into him, letting him take care of me. There’s something so soothing about his touch, something that makes the room feel smaller and more intimate, even as it’s already overwhelming in its beauty. I can feel his presence in my mind, a comforting warmth mixed with an undercurrent of possessiveness. His power is different from Kael’s—gentler, softer—but still strong, just like him. And yet, I feel Kael, too, just beneaththe surface. The pull of him, the weight of his emotions, the frustration, the confusion.

“I can feel him,” I say quietly, not sure if Torin can hear me, but his grip on my shoulders tightens just slightly, a silent acknowledgment. “He’s frustrated. Confused.”

Torin’s hand stops for a moment, and I glance up at him. His gaze is serious, his jaw tight. “Kael’s always conflicted. Always trying to control things he can’t. He’ll get over it.”

I frown, not entirely convinced. “Is that how you two came together?” I ask, trying to divert my thoughts from Kael’s distance. “How did you two end up like this?”

Torin’s fingers pause again, and I can feel him hesitate. His expression hardens slightly, though he doesn’t look away. “That’s... not a story for me to tell, little huntress.”

I narrow my eyes, pressing on. “Okay, fine. Tell me about you, then. Where did you come from?”

Torin looks at me like I’ve just asked him to step into the sun with no protection. “I’m not sure you’d want to know, Sable. It’s a sad story.”

“Of course I want to know,” I insist, my voice a little firmer. “It’s part of who you are.”

He sighs deeply, a long exhale of frustration, but I can see something in his eyes—something vulnerable, something buried beneath all the bravado. “It’s not something I talk about. Not because I don’t want to share with you,” he adds, his voice softer now, “but because it’s too damn painful to recall. I’ve buried it for a reason, kitten.”

I frown, but the curiosity nags at me. “How will I know what happened, then?”

Torin looks at me, as if weighing his words, before his eyes darken with something that feels like a warning. “I can push the story into your mind. It won’t be easy for you. It will be... intense. You’ll live it as if it were your own.”

My heart skips a beat, but I don’t pull back. “I want to know,” I whisper, my voice steady. “I need to understand.”

He hesitates, studying me for a long moment before he leans in, brushing his lips against my forehead. “You’ve been warned, kitten.”

Then, he kisses me gently, the touch soft and tender, but there’s a storm brewing beneath it, a heat I can feel building as the kiss deepens. His hand reaches up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing the soft skin beneath my eyes as he pulls away just enough to meet my gaze.

The world around me shifts.

I gasp as everything changes. The room seems to dissolve, the familiar walls of Torin’s chambers melting away into something else entirely. The warmth of the bath, the gentle hum of the sauna, the flicker of the fire—gone. In its place is darkness, a cold, distant place that feels both familiar and foreign at the same time.

I blink, disoriented, and I’m no longer standing in the bathroom. I’m somewhere else—somewhenelse.

The world around me is shifting, changing, and I can feel it. I can feel Torin’s past pulling me in, dragging me into a memory that isn’t mine but feels like it’s becoming mine, piece by piece.

I reach out, but my hands tremble as the cold, harsh reality of what he’s showing me floods my mind.

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